Friday, November 30, 2012

While I love coming up with
creative, fun, educational things for kids to do, sometimes the behavioral side
of things can be a challenge.A
nicely planned lesson can be thrown off course by some distractions that were
not envisioned in the plan.

Scanning the research for assistance and tips on how to deal
with challenging behaviors, I am reminded of some basics in working with
children, and the importance of prevention.An article on the Teaching Pyramid Model (Fox, Dunlap,
Hemmeter, Joseph & Strain, 2003) popped out at me.

The Pyramid Model stresses that
prevention is important; the best way to deal with challenging behaviors is to
avoid them as much as possible in the first place.What are some things that help prevent issues?The article points out that our
relationships are critical and we can focus on building a warm rapport with the
kids and really show interest in each individual.Also, how we arrange the program is crucial as well; the
flow of the schedule, how the environment is arranged, and how we teach them
our routines and expectations are effective tools.If we spend time on these things, we are building a stable structure.Another basic they mention, which
interests me, is the notion of teaching youth “emotional literacy”.

“Many children need explicit
instruction to ensure they develop competence in emotional literacy, anger and
impulse control, interpersonal problem solving, and friendship skills”.Wow.I could use some explicit instruction myself!I imagine, what it would have been like
in previous scenarios of my life if I or someone else had an instructor who was
coaching us on how to identify what we were feeling and constructive ways to interact
with others......

Tuesday, November 20, 2012

High
Country foodies are already missing farmers’ markets. Fortunately, with a
little planning, fresh, local food may be accessed all winter long through the High
Country Community Supported Agriculture (CSA) program. This CSA supports
farmers with greenhouses and local food producers with marketing and
distribution for year round income.

The process requires ordering on-line and then marking calendars. No membership
or minimum order is required. The online catalog features bread, pasta, goat
cheese, fudge, pastured meat, and organic produce. Check it out at http://highcountrycsa.org/catalog. There is a specific
time period to order, and a date when the food must be picked up. The next
on-line catalog opens November 20 and closes the 27th, with the pick
up being Saturday, December 1st between 2-4 pm at the Agriculture
Conference Center, 252 Poplar Grove Rd. in Boone. Cash and checks are
accepted, but no credit or debit cards. In an effort to make this incredibly
fresh food available to everyone, EBT, formerly known as food stamps, is also
accepted. Bringing a bag, basket, box, or cooler to carry the bounty is
encouraged.

High Country CSA's mission is to support and assist in the growth of beginning
and small farms. Organic certification is a lengthy and expensive process,
so while they do not require certification, they do require that their farmers
follow organic standards and practices.

The
program requires everything to be preordered, so there is less risk and loss for
the farmers during the difficult winter season. The catalog is open twice a
month, November through April, with the schedule posted on the website.

This
recipe was submitted by a High Country CSA summer program member on their
website, taken from Smitten
Kitchen. Eat all the chips you want without feeling guilty!

Baked Kale Chips

1 bunch of
kale

1 tablespoon
olive oil

Sea salt, to
taste

Preheat oven
to 300°F. Rinse and dry the kale, then remove the stems and tough center ribs.
Cut into large pieces, toss with olive oil in a bowl then sprinkle with salt.
Arrange leaves in a single layer on a large baking sheet. Bake for 17
minutes, or until crisp (keep a watch on them, because they brown quickly).
Place baking sheet on a rack to cool.

Tuesday, November 6, 2012

The
majority described bok choy salad and chard sautéed with garlic as “yummy”,
with only a couple ranking the recipes as “so-so” or “not my favorite”. That’s
because when kids have the opportunity to grow, harvest, and prepare
vegetables, they are invested in the entire process, including tasting them.

Mabel
elementary first and second graders planted their fall garden on September 10th.
Many wanted to plant their favorite vegetables, such as corn, tomatoes and
green beans, instead of greens. They learned that a fall garden has to be able
to withstand cooler temperatures and be ready to harvest relatively quickly. The
cold tolerant vegetables were put to the test during the blizzard last week.
While lettuce and Swiss chard were slightly damaged, the bok choy, napa
cabbage, and collard greens were unharmed.

After
washing hands and vegetables, the children tore the leaves of the greens into
bite-sized pieces. The smell of garlic permeated the classroom as the greens
were stir-fried. They measured and poured ingredients for making salad
dressing, and shook the dressing in a jar.

Cold
tolerant greens not only taste great, they work hard to keep you well. People
who eat merely three to five cups each week have been found to have a lower
incidence of a variety of cancers. What an important taste to cultivate early
on!

Greens
contain beta-carotene and vitamin C, which are both anti-oxidants that protect
cells from damage, reducing our chances of developing cataracts and lowering
our risk of skin cancer. Vitamin C is vital for proper function of the immune
system, which keeps us healthy.

Here
are our child tested recipes for greens:

Chard or kale
with garlic

6
large chard leaves or equivalent amount of kale

1
large garlic clove

Olive
oil

Salt

Cut
the stems out of the chard leaves and dice. Coarsely chop the leaves. Mince the
garlic. Heat olive oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Add chard stems and
garlic and stir around for 3 or 4 minutes. Add the chopped leaves and continue
to stir until tender. Add salt as desired. Makes 4 servings.

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